Friday, May 26, 2006

WHITE HOUSE: "Illegal Immigration Is Just A Speeding Ticket"

You need more proof that the White House just doesn't get it? Earlier today Tony Snow had this to say about illegal immigration:

"If you had a traffic ticket and you paid it, you're not forever a speeder, are you? So the fact is, you have paid your debt to society. And we have come up with a way to make sure that the [illegal immigrant's] debt to society gets paid. Then you move forward."

The idea that illegal immigration is no more serious than speeding is dopey enough. But worse, the analogy gets it all wrong. An illegal immigrant isn't a speeder, he's an unlicensed driver. That is, he's engaged in an activity from which he is barred. It's not "don't do that so fast," but rather "it's illegal for you to be doing that at all."

Do we tell unlicensed drivers "say, why don't you keep driving without a license until you can get to the RMV, pass the written test and the driving test. Then, we'll make you pay three of our last five tickets, and...viola! You're a legal driver!"